Tragedy struck in Zamfara State on Thursday as bandits ambushed and killed eight security operatives, five policemen and three Community Protection Guards along the Gusau-Funtua Road in Tsafe Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses said the personnel were attacked near Gidan-Giye village, a few kilometres from Tsafe town, while on patrol duty.
An indigene of the area, Ya’u Musa, told The PUNCH that the security team, attached to the Government House, Gusau, had been deployed to safeguard travellers on the busy route, which has witnessed frequent bandit attacks.
According to him, the assailants, who had been hiding in the bush, opened fire on the patrol vehicle, killing all eight officers instantly.
“The bandits ambushed them shortly after they left Tsafe town. We heard heavy gunfire near Gidan-Giye, and before long, the attackers fled into the forest on motorcycles, leaving the bodies behind,” Musa said.
Reacting to the incident, Governor Dauda Lawal expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the officers.
He confirmed the development in a post on his official Facebook page, describing it as a painful loss for the state.
He wrote that he had received “the sad news of the death of eight security personnel, comprising policemen and Community Protection Guards, who were ambushed and killed by bandits along the Gusau–Funtua Road.”
Lawal prayed for the repose of the deceased and comfort for their families, saying, “May Allah forgive them and grant their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
“We continue to pray for an end to the insecurity plaguing Zamfara State, the North, and Nigeria as a whole.”
The latest attack adds to the growing wave of violence in Zamfara, where security forces continue to battle armed groups terrorising rural communities and major highways.